Lady&#39;s handbag



L. KAUFMAN Aug. 12, 1952 S HANDBAG LADY 2 SHEETS--SHEET l Filed March 18. 1949 27 1N V EN TOR.

FIG.2

Aug. 12, 1952 L. K AUFMAN LADYS HANDBAG 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed March 18. 1949 INVENTOR.

Patented Aug. 12, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LADYS HANDBAG Louis Kaufman, New York, N, Y. Application March 18, 1949, Serial No. .82,133l

` 4 Claims. (o1. 15o-2s) Thepresent invention relates to a ladys handbag or the like, particularly of the type formed with a continuous, rigid frame running completely around its end, top and bottom walls, and encompassing all of the corners of the bag leaving open sides.

Handbags of the character described have heretofore been made. Such handbags, however, while highly attractive in appearance and very desirable on that score, .have had certain disadvantages all inherent in the method and means by which the side walls of the handbag have heretofore been closed.

The prior practice in connection with such bags has been to insert into the frame a flat, rigid member or stay, of cardboard or the like to ll in the opening in the sides of the frame and form the side wall of the handbag. Upon which stay there was disposed a decorative facing fabric associated with a cushion or padding secured to said facing fabric or interposed therebetween and the stay to provide a soft rounded outer appearance to the sides of the bag.

This method of construction formed a bag which had two principal shortcomings. First, it was laborious and costly in the formation and assembly ofthe side Walls. Second, and more important, it formed a handbag with very limited interior space, unless the frame was made exceptionally wide, in which event its proportions became unbalanced and unattractive.

It is the object ofthe present invention, to provide a handbag of the character described which eliminates both of the foregoing disadvantages,` by providing a handbag which, for the same frame dimensions, has considerably more inside space than similar bags heretofore provided.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a handbag of the character described of increased capacity, the production of which is greatly simplified and may be accomplished at considerable savings in time, laborV and materials.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a handbag of the character described capable of greater variety in style and shape than heretofore possible.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a handbag of the character described which is of increased sturdiness and durability and will indefinitely retain its shape to thereby further increase its desirability and utility.

The foregoing and other advantages and superiorities of the ladies handbag of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those skilled inthe art from the several embodiments thereto shown in the accompanying drawings and from the description following. It is .to be understood, however, that such embodiments are shown by way of illustration only, to make the principles and practice of the invention more readily comprehensible and Without limiting the invention to the specic details therein shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a handbag embodying the present invention'of one former shape shown with'all carrying means omitted for clarity of disclosure and partly broken away to show details of construction and assembly;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, enlarged, vertical sectional view taken through the bag of Fig. i;

Fig. 3 is an inside plan View of the side wall stay for the handbag of the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line ll-fl of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in perspective, partly broken away, of a lining for use in the handbag of the present invention;

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of a handbag of the present invention of modied shape;

Fig. 7 is an end elevational view of the handbag of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is an exploded View of a frame and stays of the handbag of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is an end elevation of a lining for the handbag of Fig. 6, and

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of said lining.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings, with reference to Figs. 1 to 5 thereof, inclusive, the handbag ther-ein shown comprises a rectangular frame, composed of a pair of rectangular sections, each generally designated at I6, and each consisting of a tcp wall, Il, side walls, i8, which may taper upwardly and a bottom wall, i9, which may be of greater width than top wall Il. The frame sections I6 are hinged together along the facing edges of their bottom walls I9 as shown at 20. It will be seen that the combined two sections i6 of the frame actually form thecomplete top, bottom and side walls of the handbag and they may be provided with suitable interlocking means at the top such as indicated by the clamp, 2|, which locking means, however, may vary and do not constitute any part of the present invention.

Each of the frame sections I6 is formed with an inwardly oiTs-et fiange, 22, defining an outer opening 23, and an inwardly offset inner iiange Z4, preferably of lesser Width than the outer flange 22, defining an inner opening 24 of greater dimensions than opening 23.

In order to close side opening 23 of the frame to build up the side walls of the handbag, I provide, in place of the flat board side stay heretofore used, a rigid, trough-shaped or concave side stay, generally designated as 21, formed with a concave portion, 28, which is adapted to t within the side opening 23 of a frame section I6. and with a nat flange, 29, which is adapted to t in the inner opening, 25, of each frame section I6 and to engage against the inner face of the outer frame flange 22.

The side stay 21 may be formed of any desired suitable rigid material that can be readily stamped, molded or otherwise formed at low cost, as of lightweight metal, such as aluminum or the like, or synthetic plastic, or even pa-pier mch, and may be made of any desired shape such as rectangular, circular, hexagonal, or other suitable shape adapted for use in conformity with the shape of like formed frame sections, and it may be formed with its trough portion 223 of any desired depth and curvature in accordance with the intended capacity and shape desired for the finished article.

In assembling the bag of the present invention, an outer, decorative facing material, 3l, of any suitable material conventionally in use for the purpose may be secured directly to the stay 21, as by gluing its overlapping edges, 32, and other portions thereof to the inner face of the stay flange 2S. To insure softness of appearance, a layer of padding, 33, may be interposed, though not necessarily so between the facing fabric 3l and the trough portion 28 of the stay 21. rlhe covered side stay may then be manipulated into the frame section I6, through the opening 25 with its trough portion 28 projecting through the opening 23. A rigid bottom stay, 34, which may comprise plain or uncovered cardboard or the like, may be inserted to keep the side stay 21 in place.

When openings 23 of both frame sections I6 are thus filled, a preformed inner lining, generally designated as 35, is inserted and glued into place against the inner face of the side stays 21. Such inner lining may comprise a pair of side walls, 35, coextensive in size and shape with the side stays 21, and formed of a backing material, 31, such as stiff paper or the like and a lining fabric, 38, a bottom wall, 39 and gussets, 4S, connecting the side walls. Pockets, 4l, may be secured to the side walls 36 if desired. Where the shape of the frame is rectangular or polygonal, the backing material 31 of the side walls 33 may have darts, 42, cut out at the corners to permit the ready creasing and folding of the lining at that point, without any bulge, when such walls are pasted in place within the troughshaped sid-e stay 21, to permit the lining to assume the same trough shape.

When the lining 35 is suitably glued or otherwise secured to the stay 21, end stays, d3, which may comprise rigid cardboard bore, 44, having a covering, 45, of the same lining material as the lining 35, may be forced into place within the frame sections I6 and secured, as by gluing, against the inner face of the end walls I8 thereof intermediate the flange 29 of the stay 21 and the inner flange 24 of the frame section I6. A similarly formed top stay, 45, may be similarly inserted and secured along the top wall l1 of the frame section I6, to thereby retain the stay 21 and the lining 35 safely and securely in position.

It will be readily apparent that the handbag thus produced involves fewer parts that may be formed with less material and With less and simpler operations, and that the capacity of the bag produced by the use of stays such as 21 may be increased as much as double or more if desired, without actually increasing the size of the bag frame or its dimensions.

In Figs. 6 to 10 inclusive. of the drawings, I have shown the principles of the present invention adapted for use with a bag of a circular frame. In this embodiment, th-e frame sections 58 forming the frame are each circular and provide with an inner and outer flange, 52 and 5l respectively, and are hinged to one another at one point, as at 53. The rigid stay, 54 is circular and has a spherical concavity, 55, and a circular flange, 56. It is covered with a facing material, 51, and with a Ipadding, 58, in substantially the same manner as described in connection with the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 5.

The lining, generally designated as 53, if formed with approximately conical side Walls 65, which may be provided by means of a cut-out dart in the stili base, 6|, whose edges are joined together as at G2. Instead of using separate bottom, end and top stays, a continuous stay, 63, likewise formed of a cardboard core, B4, and a lining covering, 65, is inserted into each frame section 50 between the inner flange 52 and the side stay flange 56 to retain the lining 59 and the side stay 54 securely in place.

This completes the description of the several embodiments of the handbag of the present invention.

It will be apparent that instead of rectangular or circular, as illustrated, the bag may be formed with triangular frame sections and side stays, or hexagonal ones, or practically any other polygonal shape of varying sizes and wall proportions. It will likewise be apparent that the side stays of any particular shape or outline may have their trough portions differently shaped making possible a greater variety of handbags that may be formed with each particular frame shape.

It will also be readily apparent that many modifications and variations of such handbag may be made by anyone skilled in the art in accordance with the principles of the invention hereinabove set forth, and without the use of any inventive ingenuity. I desire, therefore, to be protected for any and all such variations and modifications that may be made within the spirit of the present invention and the scope of the claims hereto appended.

What I claim is:

1. In a ladys handbag having a rigid, peripheral frame comprising a pair of hinged together unitary frame sections, each frame section continuous along the top, bottom and ends of the handbag and alined in an approximately common plane with the other and each of said frame sections having an inwardly offset inner flange and an inwardly offset outer flange defining an inner side opening and an outer side opening, respectively, a side wall stay inserted into each of said frame sections, said side wall stay comprising a rigid member having a central trough-shaped portion projecting outwardly beyond the frame section through said outer side opening whereby the capacity of the handbag is increased to exceed the capacity encompassed by said frame, and a laterally offset :dat flange section engaging against the inner face of said outer Iiange.

2. In a ladys handbag having a rigid, round, circumferential frame, comprising a pair of circular unitary frame sections, said frame sections hinged together at their bottom and alined in an approximately common plane with each other and each having an inwardly oiset inner flange and an inwardly olset outer flange defining an inner side opening and an outer side opening respectively, a side wall stay inserted into each of said frame sections, said side wall stay comprising a rigid member having a central trough-shaped portion projecting outwardly through and beyond said outer side opening whereby the capacity of the handbag is increased to exceed the capacity encompassed by said frame and a laterally oifset fiat flange section engaging against the inner face of said outer flange, said rigid side wall stay having a decorative outer coating, a lining inserted into said frame sections through said inner side openings, said lining including side walls secured to the inner face of said side wall stays and conforming to the shape thereof, and continuous stays inserted intermediate said inner and outer frame section flanges between said lining walls and said inner flanges, to secure said side wall stays and said linings in place.

3. In a ladys handbag having a rigid peripheral frame comprising a pair of unitary frame sections each continuous along the top, bottom and ends of the handbag and each having continuous, inwardly offset inner and outer flanges defining, respectively an inner and an outer side opening on said section, said frame sections hinged together in register with one another, with their said anges parallel to one another, a side wall stay inserted into each said frame section, said sidewall stay comprising a substantially rigid member having a central. trough-shaped portion projecting outwardly through and beyond said outer side opening whereby the capacity of the handbag is increased to exceed the capacity encompassed by said frame and a laterally offset flange section engaging against the inner face of the outer flange of said frame section, said side wall stay having a decorative surface provided on the outer face thereof, and means within said frame section for maintaining said stay with its flange engaged against said outer flange thereof.

4. In a ladys handbag having a rigid peripheral frame comprising a pair of unitary, continuous frame sections each having continuous inwardly offset, substantially parallel inner and outer flanges delining, respectively, an inner and an outer side opening on each of the sections, said frame sections hinged together in register with one another and with their said flanges substantially parallel, a side wall stay inserted into each said frame section, said side wall stay comprising a rigid sheet material having a central troughshaped portion projecting outwardly through and beyond the outer side opening thereof whereby the capacity of the handbag is increased to exceed the capacity encompassed by said frame and a iiange section engaging against the inner face of the outer flange thereof, said side wall stay having a decorative surface provided on the outer face thereof, a lining inserted into said frame sections through the inner side openings thereof, said lining including a side wall secured to the inner face of each of said side wall stays and conforming to the shape thereof and top, bottom and end stays inserted intermediate said inner and outer frame section flanges, between said lining wall and the inner flange, to secure said side wall stay and said lining in place.

LOUIS KAUFMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 395,515 Robertson Jan. 1, 1889 1,598,991 Strauss Sept. 7, 1926 1,980,684 Hiering Nov. 13, 1934 2,154,235 Esterow et al Apr. 11, 1939 2,218,666 Tamoschat Oct. 22, 1940 2,429,962 Reilly Oct. 28, 1947 2,536,785 Tamoschat Jan. 2, 1951 

